"...Knives of Kush 5 is richly illustrated with great attention given to details large and small, from the obscene luxury of the pharaoh's court to the grim and gritty field of battle. The fight scenes are particularly dynamic, although some of the dialog scenes are a bit too static. Clint Langley's covers, however, are real eye-grabbers, upstaging the inside a bit. The wrap-around cover is particularly outstanding, and is sure to draw readers in at first glance. Its epic and almost narrative qualities have drawn me back for "just one more look" several times.

Fans of history, mythology, passion plays of gods and mortals, and anyone who has wondered what happens when someone gets hit with a club the size of a railroad tie with iron spikes sticking out, will enjoy this."

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"The final two issues of the second Radical story arc starring the Greek demi-god Hercules and his merry band of mercenaries offers plenty of battles, blood and back-stabbing. A satisfying conclusion in a popular and bottomless series gives a sense of closure for that particular story arc while leaving the characters free for another money-making sequel, and HERCULES: KoK delivers such an ending.

...Moore has once again authored a comic surrounding the adventures of one of the most famous Greeks to grace mythology, and once again he has proved himself worthy of accolades. Blood, sex, money and war comprise the general theme of KNIVES OF KUSH, which would make any Greek poet proud. Moore remains true to the template he established for all of his main characters while also throwing in exciting new faces and scenery, and though lacking the volume of dark humor the first series boasted (Tydeus is sorely missed), he does make a point to includes comedic bits which keeps things light. Bolson’s artwork is absolutely magnificent, making each blood-splattered battle scene just as beautiful as the faces of the Royal Wives. Definitely campy and at times somewhat cheesy, HERCULES is a series for those looking for an action-packed good time with a bit of something for everyone, and fans of the first series should not miss this next great adventure of Hercules and colorful crew."

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"THE LOWDOWN:  It could be said that writer Steve Moore has converted the demigod of Greek myth, Hercules (Heracles), into the sword and sorcery Conan the Barbarian.  Hercules: The Knives of Kush reads and looks like Marvel Comics long-running Conan comic books, and this series’ concluding issue does offer plenty of clubs-bashing-heads and sword-in-torso.

The treat is that the second half of issue five offers an aftermath that is some cold-blooded mess.  The art team of Cris Bolson, Manuel Silva, and Leonardo Silva and colorists Doug Sirois and Cliff Cramp are adept at depicting the bloody mayhem of battle.  They are even better at visualizing the story of what happens after war – when political scores are settled and gruesome death penalties are handed down."

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"...This has all the elements that make a conclusion an exciting read. All the pieces are in place and the writer Steve Moore dives straight into the action. The issue opens with Hercules waking up from complete unconsciousness in the center of the battlefield. Then the fun begins!

It is this pacing that I found so enjoyable. Subplots are woven into major conclusions so as not to disrupt the flow. Plus the layout works perfect for this story. Plot elements are discussed in small panels that over lay the large central panel. It is a technique often used, but here it creates a true effect on the reader by drawing focus into the large action panel in the middle of the page.

The artwork of Cris Bolson, Manuel Silva and Leonardo Silva are perfect for this type of story. An example is the body types which are fitting for the tale. The only truly larger than life person is Hercules himself, which visually shows off his legendary status. The coloring of Doug Sirois and Cliff Cramp match the artist’s world view; clean, reality based, and not lost in detail. The artwork made this an excitingly enjoyable read where others might have taken a different approach and lost their readers by showing off their skills in minutia.

Also, the book treats its conclusions with enough drama without falling into camp. One important way they accomplish this is the wonderful effect of body posturing. The power and intensity of the heroes, the regret and shame of the villains, are all conveyed fantastically, to the point that one could even remove the dialogue."

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"This is another brilliantly written conclusion, to what has been an incredibly memorable series. Steve Moore has really outdone himself! There really isn’t anything to fault in this issue – the plot and pacing are perfect, the dialogue is authentic and realistic, and even though some plot points are inevitable, Moore manages to through in a few twists and turns, to keep readers on their feet. Being the conclusion, this issue is obviously mostly dominated by action scenes, and tying up loose ends of the plot, but Moore still manages to throw in some wonderful character moments, and even the odd bit of humour.

Cris Bolson has produced another issue of gorgeous looking artwork. Most of the issue is taken up with intense and bloody battle scenes, which Bolson makes look really cinematic, and easy to follow. Despite all the busy scenes of this issue, Bolson’s artwork remains highly detailed, and he never seems to sacrifice the small details, even in scenes packed full of soldiers fighting! Before reading this series, I’d not seen Bolson’s artwork on any other comics, but I think that is about to change, and this is definitely a name to watch!

Hercules: The Knives of Kush #5 is a stunning conclusion to one of the year’s best miniseries! This series has been an epic of Greek proportions, and I can’t wait to read the next miniseries! I can recommend it highly enough!"

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CLICK IMAGE TO SEE THE PREVIEW ON COMIC BOOK RESOURCES

On sale this week (Wednesday, Nov 25th). Be sure to pick up a copy of HERCULES: THE KNIVES OF KUSH #4 at your local comic book store.

"Honestly, when most people hear the name Hercules nowadays, they immediately think of the intelligence-insulting syndicated television series of the 90's from the otherwise great Renaissance Pictures, or of the tired, stuck in the past and borderline spoof Marvel character. This is something far more interesting, something historically accurate enough in research as to tell an action adventure tale without breaching too far into the fantastic or mythological. This is a world where sex and politics admittedly go hand in hand, and where even heroic warriors might cut throats to serve the perceived greater good. Moore's Hercules is not as grim and silent as someone like the comparable Conan, in fact he is sharp enough to play convincingly the role of field tactician, as he does later in this issue, as a massive battle explodes with all sides of the struggle fully entrenched in the bloody spectacle of warfare. And, there is finally a point where the claimed birthright of Hercules comes into play, making for a well-conducted sequence of raw power.

"...With one chapter left to go, iss four of Hercules: The Knives Of Kush is loaded with an imaginative story of bloodshed and cults and nefarious traitors, and artwork that reads like absolute eyecandy.

Hercules: The Knives Of Kush is one of the better books right now from the good people of Radical, and I hope this entire creative team is given more work soon, preferably on the same book- whether a new Hercules mini or something else entirely. A world of talent and without the undeservedly excessive hype given to certain other creators these days.

For fans of sword and sorcery fantasy, gory barbarian combat, and somewhat historically-enthused action and adventure with suggestions of comedic nuance and sexual innuendos, this is your stout cup of mead."

"So much bloody fun I can hardly stand it."

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"Another good issue in what is an intriguing story. The full picture of why the enemy has been winning the war and the situation with the leadership is coming into focus, but we are still no closer to finding out who the spies are in Seti’s palace. I can only hope that Autolycus and Iolaus have a good escape plan, because I suspect they are going to need it. For some good old fashioned Hercules bloodshed and a touch of intrigue, pick this one up and keep following the story of Hercules: The Knives of Kush when it hits shelves."

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"It’s the story around the character and the smooth dialogue that truly make this series worth reading. If that isn’t enough the artwork with the beautiful moments frozen in time are enjoyable to look at. I’m sure this series will have a finish that will leave the reader very satisfied."

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A great review of the first three issues thus far:

"Hercules is back and badder than ever in his second series, KNIVES OF KUSH, sequel to the fantastic and popular THRACIAN WARS. Steve Moore returns as the writer, bringing the same energy and intrigue he brought to the first series. The artwork has changed hands but lost none of its quality as Bolson delivers beautiful characters and over-the-top blood and gore."

"...What more could a comic fan want for? Admir Wijaya and Imaginary Friends Studio’s artistic work on the first HERCULES series set a high quality standard for the book, but Bolson does an excellent job in meeting that standard. The characters are lovely and the battle scenes are deliciously graphic as evident in one panel where Hercules’s club smashing a poor soul’s eye right out of the socket. HERCULES: KNIVES OF KUSH is thus far a worthy sequel to an excellent introductory series."

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Former comicnews.info editor, Richard Caldwell reviews the latest issue of Hercules: The Knives of Kush and weighs in his verdict below.

"...Hercules: The Knives Of Kush series delivers more meat than many of the books from the larger publishers out this month. Moore writes like a pulp serial gone mad on speed, allowing the action to move the story in breakneck fashion. So much happens in these issues, the flow is fantastic to digest. Page turner, all the way. Bolson displays the dynamic realism of the battlefield in such a manner that every single page is incredibly atmospheric and dense. Limbs are forcefully removed, faces are ripped off by clubs, and enough thought is put into all of it so that afterwords the victors slump a bit, their world seeming all the more brutally real for the reader. And the ethnic and cultural differences are observed well by the raiment, etc, meaning actual research went into the production of this comic! The Egyptian women especially are easy on the eyes. Very solid stuff, and all of it brought home by Sirois, whose palette infuses every frame with ghostly auras of soul. I know most colouring is handled digitally nowadays, but so many of the scenes in these issues were like gorgeous watercolor paintings. This art is beautiful, really beautiful. I want to see Bolson and Sirois work together again after this story wraps.

Thus far, this mini should greatly appeal to fans of sword and sorcery, fantasy genre materials. The plot is carried very constructively well, and the characters have great banter. And the art, like with many of the Radical books I have seen, is of an insane level of quality. However, the fights and sexual innuendos are all a bit expressive at times, so if you are looking for something withwhich to win over your stodgy fundamentalist grandmama then this might not be it. But if you like smart, action-rich adventure then by the gods hunt down copies today.

In all seriousness, Radical gives damn good comic. Check them out now."
 

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ON SALE NOW! Click on the image to preview, courtesy of CBR

"Steve Moore continues to tell the more brutal comic book version of the Hercules character. Moore adds what looks to be a lot of research to make this a genuine account of life in Ancient Times. Sure, this occasionally reads like a CONAN story, but the amazing design of the Hercules character by Jim Steranko and the gorgeous artwork by Cris Bolson make this Hercules a version of the character like no other. The first issue of this new miniseries read pretty quick, but the premise of Herc and crew coming into a new land and getting in the middle of a battle between warring nations was somewhat reminiscent of the first miniseries. I was glad to see this issue distinguish itself from the first one by being more of a quest or a mystery for Hercules to solve and highlighting Egyptian mythology. This book continues to live up to the high standard that Radical has set for itself. Another great miniseries."

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/42376#11 

John Mayo and Bob Bretall of ComicBookPage.com cover the second issue of Hercules: the Knives of Kush in their podcast review of the latest comics. Check it out in the link below:

http://www.comicbookpage.com/Podcast/?p=338 

"The Knives of Kush continues Steve Moore's tales of Hercules, with a vibrant new background and beautiful new artwork upholding the strengths of the series."

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"It's blood drenched sword and sandals fun under the Ancient Egyptian sun, and while not a genre I love, I do enjoy this series. It probably helps a lot that the art by Bolson and Sirois is in a beautifully painted style that actually allows you to see everything (as opposed to last series, when sometimes you couldn't). Fans of muscles and mutilations will want to snap this one up. "

 

"Steve Moore tells a good story, only slowing the action to build the intrigue. There are an awful lot of characters in this issue, but each of them is given a distinct voice and role to play without becoming trite or die-cut. Moore likes to set up page turning moments, often playing off the dialogue with cut scenes and overlapping conversations. It helps to keep the rhythm of the book fast and smooth.

Chris Bolson's art is very clean and solid, and when coupled with the painted look of Doug Sirois' colors, the book becomes a true masterpiece.

Political intrigue meets action, adventure, and mythology, HERCULES: KNIVES OF THE KUSH promises to deliver the goods."

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"The comic is filled with wonderful characters. Moore does a great job representing the mythology while at the same time modernizing the people in the book so the reader can have a better connection with them. I do feel however that the dialogue is too contemporary; bringing me slightly out of the story. Overall the comic is pretty solid. Even though it may feel that the reader goes through a lot in only 25 pages, the pacing is perfect for the story.

The art for this book is very rich in color and detail. Honestly, I don’t enjoy all painted comics, but this one does not disappoint. Cris Bolson does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. The color pallet suits the time period for which the story takes place with more earth tone colors, and the use of shadow and form only help enhance the experience, especially through the very graphic battle scenes.

Fortunately the reader doesn’t need to be an enthusiast of ancient mythology to enjoy this comic. There are a lot of old names and cities mentioned in the story but the comic doesn’t read any differently from other action novels. I personally believe that this series has a lot to offer and will most certainly keep the readers excited all the way to the end."

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"What can I say? The battles are Braveheart kind of brutal with limbs and heads flying, arrows piercing, and good old fashioned ancient combat. We haven’t seen it yet but there could indeed be some magic mischief happening. The artwork is great, the story is well written, and only Hercules can save the day. Check this one out when it hit shelves folks; it will be worth every penny."

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On sale this Wed, reviewer Karyn Pinter from Comics Bulletin explains why you should pick up a copy if you haven't preordered already:

"Sit back and enjoy the ride kids, it looks like it’s going to be a good one. Ancient cults, Egyptian civil war, Hercules smashing faces with his club, pirates--what more could you ask for? It’s high adventure, plain and simple, like the classic Sinbad movies. I say Sinbad because I have yet to see a good Hercules movie (sorry Governor Schwarzenegger), and I’ll be dead before I count that bullcookies version Disney put out. This comic is the best we’ve got so far and a must read for fans of the sword and sandals flicks. This is definitely one of the best series coming out of Radical."

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Hercules: The Knives of Kush writer Steve Moore discusses the new series with Shaun Manning. In addition to the interview, you can see 4 pages from the story along with the covers by Jim Steranko and Clint Langley.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21202